Steering device for land-rollers.



A. s. P. ROBINSON.

STEERING DEVICE FOR LAND ROLLERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1910 Patented Jun 13, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. S. P. ROBINSON.

STEERING DEVICE FOR LAND ROLLERS.

APPLIOATION FILED 11017.14, 1910.

995,291, Patented June'13,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v A. S. F. ROBINSON.

' STEERING DEVICE FOR LAND ROLLERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1910.

995,291 Patented June 13, 1911.

s SHEET5-SHBET a.

ARTHUR SAMUEL FRANCIS ROBINSON, OF BECCLES, ENGLAND.

STEERING DEVICE FOR LAND-ROLLERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR SAMUEL FRANCIS ROBINSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Beccles, in the county of Suffolk, England, have invented a Steering Device for Land-Rollers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to steering and driving arrangements suitable for garden and road rollers of the kind adapted to be driven by cranks and pedals actuated by a person carried by the machine and whose weight is consequently added to the weight of the roller.

The specification of another application for patent made by me, Serial No. 516863, describes a garden or road roller to which this invention is especially applicable.

The main roller of such a machine usually comprises two cylinders, one only of which is driven in order to avoid the use of clifferential gear which, if both cylinders were driven, would be necessary. It sometimes happens, however, that owing to the tilt of the roller when on ground of varying level the weight is mainly on the roller cylinder which is not driven and the result is that the driven roller cylinder spins around idly and propulsion ceases unless additional. weight is brought to bear on the driven roller cylinder.

Now according to this invention both the cylinders of the main roller are adapted to be positively driven and clutches are provided whereby either or both can be moved into or out of connection with the driving mechanism as desired. The clutches are with advantage pressed into operation by springs so that to release either clutch it is necessary to overcome the resistance of the corresponding spring or springs and the grip of the clutch.

Figure 1 of the accompanying illustrative drawings is a side elevation of one construction of garden roller embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan with the upper parts removed. Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 3 illustrating modifications. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of one form of clutch. Fig. 9 is a similar view to Fig. 5 showing an arrangement of two-speed gear.

In the construction of garden roller shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 an intermediate transverse shaft a, driven by a chain and chain wheel from the pedal crank shaft 6, has

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 14, 1910.

Patented June 13, 1911.

Serial No. 592,335.

feathered on it the sliding parts 0 of two jaw clutches, the corresponding other parts (Z of which are fixed to chain pinions a mounted to rotate but not slide on the intermediate shaft (4 and each adapted to drive, through a chain f and another chain wheel 9, one cylinder h of the main roller. Light and flexible springs m threaded upon the intermediate shaft a between collars at fixed thereon and the sliding part clutches 0 constantly tend to press the clutches 0cl into engagement.

Each sliding part clutch c is formed with an annular groove 0 engaged by one end of a lever 9 pivoted at q to a fixed part of the roller frame 1- and the other end of which is adapted to be moved in a direction to cause disengagement of the corresponding clutch against the action of its spring m by a lever or cam 8 fixed on a steering spindle 25 which is furnished with a hand lever 10 or steering wheel in a convenient position for operation by a rider mounted on a seat 2) that is adjustably fixed on a seat pillar mounted in a bracket w fixed to a frame a: bolted to the roller frame 7".

Conveniently the lever or cam operated arms of the two clutch actuating levers p are bent at an angle to the other arms thereof so as to extend toward each other, and the operating lever or cam s of the steering spindle t is arranged to extend between them. The operating lever or cam s can be furnished with anti-friction rollers 1 that work on inclined faces formed therefor on the clutch lever ends as shown in Fig. 5, or, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, rollers 1 may be arranged on the lever ends and the lever or cam be suitably formed to act on such rollers. The arrangement is such that when the lever or cam s is in its mid position, see Fig. 3, both clutches ccZ are in engagement and if by operation of the steering spindle t, the lever or cam s is moved towards one side or the other the corresponding clutch lever p is so moved as to draw the corresponding clutch part 0 out of engagement against the action of its spring m.

For the purpose of obtaining a single drive without the rider dismounting, means can be provided whereby one clutch 0 can be held out of gear by its lever 39, and the lever 79 of the other clutch, which is in gear, rendered inoperative from the steerage cam. A cam 2, Fig. 5, is fixed on a rotary vertical spindle 6 the upper end of which is furnished with a hand wheel conveniently located for operation by the rider. By partial rotation of the spindle 6 the cam is caused to move the lever 79 in a direction that moves the corresponding part clutch 0 out of engagement and holds it out. The other lever 79 is mounted on an eccentric 7 that is fixed to another vertical spindle 8 that in like manner to the spindle G is provided with a hand Wheel and which when partially rotated moves the eccentric 7 into such position that the inclined end of the lever 79 mounted thereon is moved out of the path of the cam or lever s, that is to say it is moved so far clear of the cam or lever s that the latter cannot move it to put the corresponding clutch part 0 out of gear. If desired the two spindles 6 and 8 can be geared together as by a chain 9 and chain wheels 10, indicated by dotted lines so that by operation of either handwheel both spindles 6 and 8 can be simultaneously rotated.

When it is desired to provide means for pulling the roller by hand the steering spin dle can have fixed thereto a suitable pulling lever 11, Fig. 4, the handle lever a being made readily removable from the top of the steering spindle l and capable of being fixed as by a stud 12 to the pulling lever 11.

The upper bearing 14 for the steering spindle t can conveniently be formed with an annular or other shaped flanged disk 15,

Fig. 4, that constitutes a tray or table for the use of a rider, or as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the flanged disk 15 to constitute a tray can be adjustably fixed as by a set screw to the spindle 2? above such bearing 14.

There a double drive is not required the lever or cam s can be released and moved to an out of the way position on the steering shaft t in which position it can be secured as by a set screw when, with one clutch fixed out of gear a single drive is obtained or the bent levers p can be lifted off their pivots q and placed on one side or removed. hen so removed the levers 79 can be con veniently rested in downwardly extending gutter shaped brackets 79 that prevent the levers rising when they are in operative positions and replaced on their pivots, and either clutch part 0 can be moved back against the action of its spring past the feather. which keys it to the shaft (6 and be given a partial turn so that it is then prevented from again assuming its position of engagement by abutting against said feather.

and 8, mounted in an annular groove 22 formed in one part of each clutch, say the part (Z fixed to the chain wheel 6, are adapted to be engaged by lugs 23 projecting from the other part of the clutch; these lugs and rollers taking the place of the usual jaws.

In some cases, in order to provide a two speed gear, a vertical spindle 25, Fig. 9, operable from the drivers seat '2; is adapted, through suitable levers 26 and links 27, to move sliding clutch member 28, feathered on a shouldered sleeve 29 keyed to the intermediate shaft a, into engagement with either of two chain wheels 30 freely mounted on the shouldered ends of the sleeve 29 and held in place by collars 31 fixed on either end, and which are driven at different speeds from the pedal crank shaft Z) by separate chains. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the sliding clutch member 28 is engaged by one end of a lever 32 pivoted at 32" the other end of which is connected to a spring 33 that constantly tends to move it in one direction, and to a cord 34: that is led over a guide roller 35 to the lower end of a vertical operating lever 36.

37 is a guard for the lever 36 formed with an inclined part that guides the lever past an inwardly extending part 38 upon which by an outward movement the lever can be caused to rest when the clutch is in the one position of engagement, the spring 33 then holding it on such inwardly pro-,

jecting part.

39 is a screw down brake block guided on a transverse tie rod 40, and 41 are adjustable pulleys for regulating the tension of the chains 42 that connect the chain wheels of the crank shaft 6 to the chain wheels 30.

that I claim is 1. In a garden or road roller, .a frame adapted to carry a person, a main roller road wheel comprising two cylindrical portions mounted to rotate in said frame, a driving shaft mounted in said frame, means for rotating said shaft operable by a person carried on said frame, a clutch in connection with each of the cylindrical portions of said roller road wheel, driving mechanism between said shaft and said clutches, a steering spindle, levers operating said clutches, and a cam on said spindle adapted to actuate said clutch operating levers.

2. In a garden or road roller, a frame adapted to carry a person, a main roller road wheel comprising two cylindrical portions mounted. to rotate in said frame, a driving shaft mounted in said frame, means for rotating said shaft operable by a person carried on said frame, a clutch in connection with each of the cylindrical portions of said roller road wheel, driving mechanism between said shaft and said clutches, springs tending to maintain said clutches in operation, a steering spindle, levers adapted to move said clutches out of operation against the action of said springs, and a cam on said spindle adapted to actuate said clutch operating levers.

3. In a garden or road roller, a frame adapted to carry a person. a main roller road wheel comprising two cylindrical portions mounted to rotate in said frame, a driving shaft mounted in said frame, means for rotating said shaft operable by a person carried on said frame, a clutch in connection with each of the cylindrical portions of said roller road wheels, driving mechanism between said shaft and said clutches, springs tending to maintain said clutches in operation, a steering spindle, levers adapted to move said clutches out of operation against the action of said springs, a cam on said spindle adapted to actuate said clutch operating levers, and means whereby one of said levers can be moved out of the path of said cam.

4. In a garden or road roller, a frame adapted to carry a person, a main roller road wheel comprising two cylindrical portions mounted to rotate in said frame, a driving shaft mounted in said frame, means for rotating said shaft. operable by a person carried on said frame, a clutch in connection with each of the cylindrical portions of said roller road wheel, driving mechanism between said shaft and said clutches, springs tending to maintain said clutches in operation, a steering spindle, levers adapted to move said clutches out of operation against the action of said springs, a cam on said spindle adapted to actuate said clutch operating levers, means operable by a person carried by said frame for holding one of said clutches out of engagement and for moving the said operating lever of the other of said clutches out of the path of said cam.

5. In a garden or road roller, a frame adapted to carry a person, a main roller road wheel comprising two cylindrical portions mounted to rotate in said frame, a driving shaft mounted in said frame, means for rotating said shaft operable by a person carried on said frame, an intermediate shaft, two chain wheels freely mounted on said intermediate shaft, a clutch member on said intermediate shaft between said chain wheels, two chain wheels on said driving shaft, driving chains connecting the said chain wheels of said driving shaft to the said chain wheels of said intermediate shaft, means for putting said clutch member into engagement with either of the said chain wheels of said intermediate shaft, two clutch parts mounted to freely rotate but not move endwise on said intermediate shaft, driving mechanism connecting said clutch parts one to each of the cylindrical portions of said main roller wheel, two other clutch parts mounted to slide on but not rotate relatively to said intermediate shaft, and means for moving the said sliding clutch parts into engagement with the said freely mounted clutch parts.

Signed at London England this 18 day of October 1910.

ARTHUR SAMUEL FRANCIS ROBINSON.

Witnesses CHARLES CoPs, HERBERT D. J AMEsoN.

flopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

